Welcome to the new STEM City Executive Director

We would like to welcome our new Executive Director, Kris Penca! STEM City is really excited to see what direction she's going to take our organization. Read more about her below.

Hello!
My name is Kristine Penca and I'm looking forward to working with STEM partners and to increasing accessibility to stem resources for all of Flagstaff.
I love to run, hike, walk, and bike. I also enjoy trying new restaurants and Flagstaff is a great place for that!
My husband's name is Mike and we have two kids, Clay and Kenzie.
In my free time, I like to travel, paint, and make things.

I was born and raised in Iowa and received a BA in  education from the University of Iowa in 1994. I taught science and math in grades 5-8 for 20 years in Iowa and I encouraged the connection between math and science in Mason City. 
I was part of a team that made our intermediate school a STEM school and I also created a $20,000 Makerspace at Lincoln Intermediate.  
Other than teaching, I owned, managed, and taught classes at my own business- Iowa Cheer Academy. I also served on many Boards in Iowa including Mason City Baseball Association and the Stebens Children's Theatre.

I moved to Flagstaff with my husband in 2017 and I am currently teaching 7th grade in the MIT-e program at Sinagua Middle School-I teach Science and Engineering.
I am involved in Diving Deeper into the Arizona Science Standards-Educators chosen to unwrap the new Arizona science standards and create 3-dimensional designed units around the standards. In the future, I will be serving as the Digital Learning Coach for FUSD.

I am a believer in STEM education making opportunities for students.  STEM makes their future choices brighter!

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